Archive for the ‘Python’ Category

Web-based operating systems, such as Google’s Chrome OS, and new Chromebooks — notebooks built around the Chrome OS — have both received a lot of attention in the press. The question is do they make sense for small business?

If you haven’t heard of Chrome OS, then maybe you’re familiar with the Chrome Web browser? The Chrome OS is essentially a bootable version of the Chrome Web browser, and it replaces a traditional operating system like Windows.

Unlike most operating systems, Chrome OS stores all of a user’s applications and data on the Web, as opposed to a local hard drive. Although much more limiting then a traditional operating system, a browser-based OS offers huge advantages that can make it a compelling option for small businesses. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons.

The Advantages of a Web-based OS

Chromebooks start up quickly — in about 10 -15 seconds — which is significantly faster than any Windows PC. Plus, their impressive battery life lets you work an entire day on a single charge. More importantly, Chromebooks practically eliminate time-consuming IT tasks such as building system images, troubleshooting small business software or spending hours cleaning virus-infected systems.

Moreover, with all of a user’s data and applications relegated to the cloud, employee responsibilities such as maintaining the latest virus definitions, updating software or even performing daily backups are now automatically managed by Google. And, since a computer with a browser-based OS stores everything on the Web, data loss due to damage or to a lost or stolen computer is all but eliminated.

In fact, moving to new hardware involves nothing more than turning on the new machine and logging in. No need to transfer data, reinstall applications or even wait for IT assistance.

What we find most attractive about this concept, though, is how cost effective it could be. Google — making a hard push to get people to buy into the benefits of a browser-based OS — claims that companies can reduce their total cost of ownership by up to 70 percent over traditional PCs.

To that end, Google is offering small businesses and non-profit organizations the capability to lease Chromebooks in bulk for $28 a month per user. Educational institutions receive an even better deal at only $20 a month.

That price includes tech support, rapid hardware replacement, automatic background updates, a Web-based management console for IT professionals (for managing users, apps, and policies), and a hardware refresh every three years. For many businesses, potential savings of that magnitude are hard to ignore and definitely bear further investigation.

In spite of how good a deal this might be, not everyone will or should transition to this platform (graphics designers, accountants and architects come to mind). But if your employees only need to browse the Web, access email, and use typical office applications like a word processor, spreadsheet or presentation software, then a browser-based OS like Chrome OS might work for your business.

Google estimates that most companies will be able to transition approximately 75 percent of their employees over to its platform. Additional applications are available via the Chrome App Store. And before you ask, yes Angry Birds is available.

The Downside of Web-Based OS

While a browser-based OS offers plenty of benefits, it’s also hampered by severe limitations. Most notably: everything is stored in the cloud. If you’re working from the office or your home, that’s generally not a concern. However if you travel, accessing a reliable and fast broadband connection can be tricky. Many areas have dead zones, limited coverage and inconsistent throughput rates.

Complicating matters further, many wireless ISPs impose a data cap on their mobile broadband service. A computer that requires constant online access to transmit data or stream music and video could hit those caps very quickly. It wouldn’t be as troubling if you could work offline, but the majority of apps currently available for Chrome OS won’t work without a broadband connection. This makes working while traveling difficult or, in some cases, impossible.

Other issues include the lack of proper VPN support, limited file management and some weird browser compatibility issues that prevent some websites from loading or functioning correctly. And, while the Chrome App Store offers a wide variety of apps, it’s still rather limited. As a result, finding what you need can sometimes prove difficult.

Regardless of these shortcomings, the Chrome OS offers plenty of value. The best way to decide whether a browser-based OS is appropriate — for all or part of your organization — is to try one. Unfortunately, you can’t download Google’s Chrome OS directly. However these alternatives will introduce you to the browser-based OS concept first hand.

Alternatives to Chrome OS

The Web-based OS that comes closest to Chrome OS is called, ironically enough, Chrome OS Linux. This version provides a lightweight Linux distribution, compatible with almost any x86 PC or notebook equipped with at least 256MB of RAM and a 1GB HD. It’s highly representative of the experience you get working on a Chromebook.

Chrome OS Linux is available as a live CD; you can test it out on any computer without actually installing it. And, since Chrome OS Linux provides you with almost everything you get from a Chromebook, you can continue to use it on all of your existing systems without paying Google $28 a month for its hardware.

Other Web-based OSes offer similar functionality. Two of the most popular are Joli OS from Jolicloud and Splashtop OS. Unlike a Chromebook, however, both of these products are designed to be used as a supplement to Windows, not a replacement. You simply select which OS you’d like to use when the PC starts.

Installing either product is risk-free as only the installer runs in Windows, and it won’t affect your settings, files, applications or personal data. There could be some compatibility issues — we discovered that Joli OS worked fine on our Dell Latitude D620, but not on our Dell Latitude e5400. Seems it didn’t support that particular network adapter.

Splashtop also had issues as it only officially supports about a dozen HP systems. However it worked fine on our Dell Latitude D620. Bottom line, you have nothing to lose by installing it on your system. It will either work or it won’t.

The last alternative is called Presto. Unlike the other OSes mentioned here, Presto can work offline. While we don’t consider Presto a replacement for Windows the way Chrome OS is, it provides many of the same benefits.

In our test, we started Presto and got on the Web in less than 13 seconds. You can send email, IM clients and browse the Web via Firefox. And unlike Chrome OS, you can edit Office documents, listen to music or even watch videos offline. Presto also differs in that it’s not a free application. You can try it free for 7 days, after that it will cost you $19.95.

Even though none of the operating systems we discussed here are as feature rich or flexible as your typical Windows PC, they each offer something of value. We recommend that you give each a closer look.

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In the world of today, the internet has imbued every area of our work with complete interconnectedness without any boundaries. From emails to online office suites, more users are becoming increasingly dependant on the internet for their day to day work. Thus, it was only natural that a web-based operating system was imminent in Web 2.0′s age, and thus were formed these ten admirable services that give users the power of computing on the go. No more hard-drive backups and formatting just turn on your browser and get going with these Web OS services!

Screenshot of the EyeOS Cloud OS

If we notice then Facebook wants to be the operating system for the web,But there are many more web operating systems hoping to bring all your usual desktop applications online in one place. We can get much more from the web than our expectations, It’s just need some patience and the right place to start up with. Some replicate the entire desktop, while others are startpages with info from around the web – here are more than 10 of our favorites. Just scroll your mouse and grab through these, these are the right places for you to take a look at.

Web Based O.S / Online O.S

One could argue that a Web-based operating system is redundant, since one needs a computer, operating system, and Web browser to access an online operating system. While that’s true, the point of an online operating system is complete environment portability. That means being able to log on to any computer that has an Internet connection and, in the time it takes to launch your Web OS, having all of your applications and documents ready for you to resume work. Although you could cobble together many of the elements of a Web OS by using, say, Google Docs, Yahoo Mail, and other online applications, doing so would require you to make several stops around the Internet.

There’s no doubt that today’s Web-based operating systems are far from feature-laden, and they probably will not tempt many to abandon their current routine that combines desktop and Web-based software.
But given the push that the major players in the industry are making toward a completely Web-based future, there’s also little doubt that Web-based operating systems, or some form thereof, are in our collective future.

Formerly known as Xindesk, Cloudo is an open internet-based operating system that is written in PHP and runs the LAMP software bundle. It makes full use of the area of the browser and seamlessly integrates with the iPhone’s mobile browser. Written using open technologies, this browser based OS is high on features and usability. Currently in Public Beta, it opens to consumers next year.

One of the first implementations of the web-based OS that you can run on your own server, EyeOS offers a credible amount of customisation options as long as your web server runs PHP5 and Apache. EyeOS also offers GUI customisation options which means that you can set up an OS the way you and your users want it – highly recommended for those who need to set up their own Web OS.

Short for Global Hosted Operating SysTem, Ghost Inc.’s web-based operating system is built for all those consumers who need to set up an online cloud-computing base without any hassles. The working environment is very similar to most operating systems that users use, and users can add more applications in the near future.

TransMedia’s Glide OS is yet another entrant into the competitive world of cloud computing. However, with Intel’s plans of putting Glide into their ultra-mobile PCs, this is one online OS that is not to be trifled with. Packing a host of applications in its basic version, Glide does an admirable job of providing easy cloud computing for its users on both the PC and mobile platforms.

Lucid Desktop (formerly known as the Psych Desktop) is built on a base of PHP5 and is a prosumer-oriented web desktop service. This desktop can be installed on to a web server like EyeOS, and is remarkably simple to use and write code for. With its proximity to Linux’s code, Lucid Desktop will be a sure hit with the Linux-loving masses.

Lucid is a free, open source web desktop, or webOS that lets you:* Access your media, office documents, and other files anywhere.
* Stay up to date with Twitter, RSS feeds, and what’s happening on the web.
* Create great web applications in ridiculously short amounts of time.

A welcome departure from the masses, Online OS is written in Javascript and uses AJAX for its fast and user-friendly work. The demo desktop looks like the Windows XP desktop (the registered version can be made to look like KDE or Mac OSX) and loads very fast (although there are a few glitches here and there when components fail to load quickly). It has file-management and other abilities, but most of its applications are not part of the OS itself rather, they launch outside of it, making Online OS a sort of a portal to these apps.

This is one of those few online operating systems that make use of the EXT-JS library for its functioning. Coupled with cutting-edge GUI, qWikiOffice is indistinguishable from an ordinary OS when it works. However, it is still under development and there are no releases as yet.

Using Microsoft’s Silverlight technology, Windows4all is an online virtual operating system. With a Vista-like GUI and desk bar, this is for all those Windows fanatics who need to use their favourite OS on computers that do not have Windows installed.

Labelled a Webtop, this cloud OS is one of the premier services offered online, developed by Sapotek. The goal of the developers is to convert the internet into a full fledged platform for working instead of relying on hard-drive based applications. It is a playground for developers as they have released their code under AGPL license.

Google Chrome OS

Google’s highly anticipated (slated for release in 2010) cloud computing OS is still largely open to speculation as Google has not released much information since its blog post on the Chrome OS and we have reason to believe that it will be as groundbreaking as its Browser!

The KIDO’Z Kid’s Web Environment is the safe, easy and fun way for young kids to surf their favorite sites, watch videos, play games, send emails, create and communicate without knowing how to read and write. Due to the fact there are any kids with different cultural and familiar backgrounds, this company has designed an inclusive way to satisfy a wide variety of preferences, so your kids have fun no mater where they are coming from. Download

ZimdeskOS
ZimdeskOS is your computer on the web – the entire functionality of a PC – online. There is nothing to install. A web browser and internet connection are all you need to access your desktop, files and favourite applications. You can access your data anytime from anywhere, from any PC. It has a attractive graphics and a well organized menu system. Rather than group items together in the typical Windows-style pop up menu, you can choose from office applications, internet, media, or games. Some of the games are kind of fun, and the word processor and spreadsheet applications are perfectly serviceable. The Zim Manager allows users to find and organize files, set permissions, and compress files.DownloadAtoolo

As an individual desktop and storage-location for your data, atoolo.com is accessable from any computer over the world – the only requirement is access to the internet. The newly launched English version offers an ajax interface along with 1GB of storage, an address book, messenger, PostAts, a type of sticky note, and image galleries, among other things.This new awesome free online-platform combines useful tools for daily work on PC. Download and Desktop

Tonido allows you to access and share your content directly through a web browser without uploading or worrying about storage limits. Share files, music, photos and calendar, download torrents and even manage your finances straight from your desktop. Free. This site also provides SDK for third party developers and an application hosting infrastructure. Tonido gives you the opportunity to get an array of applications, as well as a workspace, in addition to web share a wide variety of Photos and Jukebox. Starforce

CorneliOS is an easy-to-use and cross-browser “Web Desktop Environment”, “Web Operating System” or “Web Office” and comes with a set of cool applications. CorneliOS includes a Content Management System (CMS) so that you can easily set up and manage your own website as well as a Database Management System that allows to rapidly build any kind of database application. Get CorneliOs now

Schmedley is the startpage that has so much more to offer. It is definitely the most visually appealing of the startpages out there, and their widgets, or schmidgets, are designed in a way that makes your web life so much easier. Just personalize Your Page Internet Search Image Search Weather Movies Games YouTube Google Maps Stocks Amazon RSS Clock Sticky and many more. The IM client they use is Meebo, allowing you to chat on any of the IM services out there from one convenient spot.

Cloudo

Formerly known as Xindesk, Cloudo is an open internet-based operating system that is written in PHP and runs the LAMP software bundle. It makes full use of the area of the browser and seamlessly integrates with the iPhone’s mobile browser. Written using open technologies, this browser based OS is high on features and usability. Currently in Public Beta, it opens to consumers very shortly.

SilveOS

SilveOS.com is a Silverlight operating system (called a Web OS or a Webtop or a cloud computer). It brings the convenience and comfort you know from classical desktop applications into your browser. SilveOS.com gives you a familiar work interface that looks the same whether you’re working at your home computer, or remotely from a borrowed or public computer. System hosts all of your data and applications on the web so that they are accessible from Internet browser and not tied down locally to any one. You can launch applications right away without installation and it will be executed in draggable and resizable windows. SilveOS.com is web-based and requires Silverlight 3 to operate. Application runs in Silverlight’s security sandbox. By default code is restricted from accessing your file system or doing anything that could hurt your machine. Besides desktop, taskbar, start menu and sidebar, currently it includes wide of variety of applications, including File Explorer, Internet Explorer, Video Player, Rich test editor, RSS reader, Notepad, Paint, Twitter client, Flickr viewer, Youtube viewer, Virtual Earth, Chat, Calculator, Games like Chess, Solitaire, Spider etc…

You OS

similar to other OS’s this also has the some of the advantages like Explorer and office solutions built in.

You OS

Office Of You OS

The idea is nascent but a powerful one.

Explorer for You OS

Before Discussing the upcoming and last OS, now here we come up with

JoliCloud OS/ Joli OS

Joli Cloud, located at my.jolicloud.com is based on linux operating system, has much more features then any other operating system but while counting with its plus points which are less in number one should be like to count the negatives as well

no similarity to linux

very old and historical look

Seems all of the applications are forcibly combined, as all of the applications included opens in a new tab.

Now comes up with the Last but Not Least, EC Dashboard X

DashBoard x (Build Version Dashboard30 updated on 08 Feb 2012)

The Only application of its kind which was debugged on different SDK’s, this Portal uses PHP, CSharp, Visual Basic, ASP.net, Phalanger, Python SDK, Ruby, Javascript and Java SDK. This is a social Networking Portal, intended to serve its members with lots of Applications like Media Portal, Contacts Manager, SMS, Fax, Paint, Photoshop Capable apps, Card Generators, Chat server, games etc etc. it hosts around 30 Applications for users and is designed with the technologies (PHP, CSharp, Visual Basic, ASP.net, Phalanger, Python SDK, Ruby, Javascript and Java SDK) keep in mind. the Dashboard serves the purposes of the applications like :-

1. Address Book

2. Online Examination system

3. Career Portal

4. Cooking Recipe

5. Control Panel

6. Shopping cart

7. Edn (E Developer Network)

8. EGames

9. QA Standards

10. Dev Standards

11. Compilers

12. Text Editors

13. Paint and editors

14. Commission

15. SMS

16. Email

17. Fax

18. Chat server

19. Card Creator

20. Background Changer

21. Roles, Profile Membership Generator

22. Media Portals

23. Photogallery

Currently the software is in Theta (means you will need to get an invitation from its Creators to use and Benefit from it) version and one should need DS Foundation Invitation to use it.

DoctoR X (Build Version DoctoR20 updated on 08 Feb 2012)

Based on the Foundation of Dashboard X, DoctoR X is the Official biography Portal for Founder of DS Foundation and its subsediaries, its a full flegded web portal, but i am really sorry one should have to get DSF invitation to see this Portal. This Project is in Theta (means you will need to get an invitation from its Creators to use and Benefit from it)

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The following steps are what I did to get Visual Studio ready as my IronPython (and IronRuby) editor.

* Install the latest internal dogfood build of Visual Studio 2008.
o you may use Visual Studio 2005 or download the VS 2008 public beta2;
* Download and install ASP.NET futures release (July 2007). This will give me the nice syntax coloring and (well… limited) intellisense for python code.
o you may download VSSDK 2008 CTP, and build the IronPython integration sample, which will give you the similar editing experience;
* Download the attached add-in binary zip (poorly named as DlrToolsAddin); for my Vista box, I extract them under “%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Addins”. I wrote this add-in basically to allow me to run the script inside the Visual Studio, and show the output in the output window.
o if you consider using it for VS 2005, you will need put it in “Visual Studio 2005\Addins”.

Say, I am trying the example in my previous post, I create a new C# file (sample.cs) without creating solution/project, I can press Ctrl+1 (or the first button in the DlrTools toobar) to get it compiled to sample.dll in the local directory. You see the compile result at the bottom output window. Then I create a python file (method.py) in the same directory, type in some code (shown in color). Again, I can press Ctrl+1, the result are shown in the output window. I do not need leave VS and run these files in the cmd.exe window.

Sometimes I want to run the same code with different tools (for example, to check IronPython compatibility, I often run the same .py file against C-Python 2.5 too). That is the first combo box comes to play.

The second combo box is to set the working directory: “.” means the current directory where the active file lives, “..” for the parent directory of the current file, or you may use the absolute path. Such support is needed to run C-Python regression tests. (For the add-in implementation side, I feel what I really want is a combo box of type vsCommandControlTypeDynamicCombo, which seems not available for add-in development).

The delete button is to remove your tool choice for those files you pressed “Run Script”. By clicking the last button, an XML file (specifying which tools for which file extension) is opened so you may change it. You must update it with your tool paths, since the default setting is suited for myself.

You may also run part of the file by selecting those lines first (A temporary file is created and will be deleted after VS shutdown).

One bad thing I noticed of this add-in is that sometimes I press the “run script” button to start debugging, both icons have similar shapes.

To uninstall it, delete DlrToolsAddin.* files under “Addins”; and then run once “devenv.exe /resetaddin DlrToolsAddin.Connect”.

The source code (VS2008 project) is also attached. Disclaimer: THE CODE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITH NO WARRANTIES INTENDED OR IMPLIED. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Hope you like Visual Studio as your IronPython editor.